Step2Study

FAA Sport Pilot Airplane (SPA) practice questions

200 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 1.A pilot is climbing a light sport airplane equipped with adjustable cowl flaps at a high pitch attitude and reduced airspeed, causing decreased airflow through the engine cowling. To help prevent excessively high cylinder head temperatures under these conditions, the pilot shouldAircraft Performance and Systems
  2. 2.A pilot wants to transit through Class B airspace surrounding a major airport. The pilot contacts approach control and reports the request. Which response from ATC would allow the pilot to legally enter the Class B airspace?Airspace and Navigation
  3. 3.A pilot plans a cross-country flight that will cross an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) near the U.S. border. What is required before and during this portion of the flight?Airspace and Navigation
  4. 4.An aircraft departs on a cross-country flight with a true airspeed of 105 knots. A 15-knot headwind reduces the groundspeed to 90 knots. If the total distance to the destination is 180 nautical miles, how long will the flight take?Airspace and Navigation
  5. 5.A weather briefer advises that a non-frontal, narrow band of active thunderstorms is developing ahead of an approaching cold front and is expected to produce severe weather. What is this line of thunderstorms called?Weather
  6. 6.A pilot is flying a 165 nautical mile leg. After 30 minutes of flight, GPS shows 80 nautical miles remaining to the destination. Based on the groundspeed calculated from the first 30 minutes, how much additional time is needed to complete the leg?Airspace and Navigation
  7. 7.A pilot planning a flight has passengers who are eager to reach a family event on time. Even though weather conditions are marginal, the pilot feels compelled to depart to avoid disappointing them. This self-induced psychological pressure to complete a flight as planned is commonly referred to as which of the following?Human Factors and ADM
  8. 8.During flight, a pilot suspects the static port is blocked and opens the alternate static source, which is vented inside the unpressurized cabin. Cabin pressure in flight is normally slightly lower than the outside static pressure. As a result, compared to the actual values, the altimeter will now indicate an altitude that isAircraft Performance and Systems
  9. 9.Under conditions of the International Standard Atmosphere, temperature decreases by approximately how much for every 1,000 feet of altitude gain (up to the tropopause)?Weather
  10. 10.A pilot is evaluating an airplane for sport pilot operations. To qualify as a light-sport airplane (landplane configuration), the aircraft's maximum certificated takeoff weight may not exceedRegulations
  11. 11.During a turn in flight, a pilot's inner ear continues to sense a bank after the aircraft has actually returned to level flight, causing the pilot to feel an unwarranted urge to bank further. This vestibular illusion is known as:Human Factors and ADM
  12. 12.An applicant preparing to take the FAA sport pilot airplane knowledge test must first obtain an endorsement. Under 14 CFR 61.35(a)(1), who is authorized to provide this endorsement, and what must it certify?Regulations
  13. 13.A sport pilot is planning a VFR cross-country flight and notices a temporary flight restriction (TFR) has recently been established near the destination airport due to wildfire suppression activity. What is the pilot's regulatory obligation regarding this information under 14 CFR 91.103?Regulations
  14. 14.A pilot is planning a flight under VFR that will not be conducted in the vicinity of an airport. Per 14 CFR 91.103, the pilot's preflight action must include, among other things,Regulations
  15. 15.A sport pilot plans to operate in Class G airspace at an airport pattern altitude of 700 feet AGL during the day, more than 1,200 feet below the surrounding terrain is not a factor. What are the minimum visibility and cloud clearance requirements for this operation?Weather
  16. 16.An airplane has a stalling speed of 50 knots in straight-and-level, unaccelerated flight. What is its approximate stalling speed while in a coordinated, level 60° bank turn?Aircraft Performance and Systems
  17. 17.A pilot must clear a 50-foot obstacle shortly after takeoff on a short runway. Which airspeed should be used to maximize climb performance over the obstacle?Aircraft Performance and Systems
  18. 18.During a night takeoff over dark terrain, a pilot experiences rapid acceleration on the runway. Without visual references, the pilot suddenly feels as though the aircraft has pitched up excessively and instinctively pushes forward on the control stick. What illusion is the pilot experiencing?Human Factors and ADM
  19. 19.A preflight weather briefing includes a Convective SIGMET for the route of flight. Which of the following conditions would justify the issuance of this advisory?Weather
  20. 20.While reviewing a sectional chart, a pilot notices that a nearby airport symbol is printed in blue rather than magenta. What does this indicate?Airspace and Navigation
  21. 21.A sport pilot planning a cross-country flight uses available weather briefings, checks NOTAMs, consults a flight instructor about an unfamiliar airport, and reviews the aircraft's performance charts before departure. This behavior best exemplifies which concept?Human Factors and ADM
  22. 22.A pilot notes that at a certain altitude, the airplane's maximum rate of climb has decreased to only 100 feet per minute. This altitude best represents which performance limit?Aircraft Performance and Systems
  23. 23.During preflight planning under 14 CFR 91.103, a sport pilot reviews NOTAMs for the departure and destination airports. Which of the following is a primary reason NOTAMs must be checked?Regulations
  24. 24.A pilot notices a dashed line on a sectional chart labeled '10°E' running roughly north to south across the planned route. What does this line represent, and how does it affect flight planning?Airspace and Navigation
  25. 25.A pilot departs an airport where the current altimeter setting is correct, but the outside air temperature is significantly colder than standard for that altitude. Compared to the indicated altitude on the altimeter, the airplane's true altitude will beAircraft Performance and Systems
  26. 26.A four-stroke reciprocating engine, as used in most light sport airplanes, completes one operating cycle through four piston strokes. What is the correct sequence of these strokes?Aircraft Performance and Systems
  27. 27.During a preflight briefing, a pilot is advised that virga is visible beneath cumulus clouds along the route but that thunderstorms are not yet reported. What hazard should the pilot be most concerned about near these clouds?Weather
  28. 28.A pilot is briefed that an approaching front will move quickly, produce a narrow band of towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds, and bring brief but intense showers followed by a rapid wind shift and clearing skies. Which type of front does this describe?Weather
  29. 29.A pilot is approaching a non-towered airport with no other traffic in the pattern and no wind indicators showing a preference. According to standard traffic pattern procedures, how should the pilot enter the pattern?Airspace and Navigation
  30. 30.A pilot wants to fly beneath the outer shelves of Class B airspace surrounding a major metropolitan airport while avoiding entry into the Class B airspace itself. Which chart product is specifically designed to help the pilot plan a route for this purpose?Airspace and Navigation
  31. 31.A sport pilot agrees to split the cost of a cross-country flight with a friend who wants to come along. According to 14 CFR 61.113, the sport pilot may do this as long asRegulations
  32. 32.A pilot planning a flight over mountainous terrain is briefed that stable air is flowing at 35 knots perpendicular to a ridge line. What hazard should the pilot expect on the leeward (downwind) side of the ridge?Weather
  33. 33.Using the 3P model for aeronautical decision-making, after identifying that deteriorating weather is a hazard on a planned route, the pilot evaluates its impact on safety and considers alternative courses of action. Which step of the 3P model does this represent?Human Factors and ADM
  34. 34.After landing on a hot day, a pilot with a fuel-injected engine has difficulty restarting the engine. The fuel in the fuel lines has become heated enough to form vapor bubbles that block proper fuel flow to the engine. This condition is known asAircraft Performance and Systems
  35. 35.An applicant is completing the aeronautical experience requirements for a sport pilot certificate with a single-engine airplane rating. The minimum total flight time required isRegulations
  36. 36.A pilot wants to fly directly inbound to a VOR station on the 360° radial (a magnetic heading of approximately 360°). Instead of setting the OBS to 180°, the pilot mistakenly sets it to 360° and observes a 'FROM' flag with the CDI deflected to the right. If the pilot turns right to center the needle, what will result?Airspace and Navigation
  37. 37.Many high-wing light sport airplanes use a gravity-feed fuel system instead of relying primarily on an engine-driven fuel pump. What is the primary advantage of this design?Aircraft Performance and Systems
  38. 38.An airplane's wings are mounted with a slight upward angle from the fuselage to the wingtips, known as dihedral. If the airplane rolls into a sideslip to the left due to a wind gust, the dihedral effect will tend toAircraft Performance and Systems
  39. 39.A pilot is briefed that a cloud layer at the departure airport is based at 4,500 feet AGL. According to the standard cloud classification system, which family does this cloud belong to?Weather
  40. 40.On short final, a pilot reduces power to idle just before touchdown, but the airplane seems to float and resists settling onto the runway. Which phenomenon best explains this?Aircraft Performance and Systems
  41. 41.A pilot has flown the same local traffic pattern hundreds of times and has stopped performing a thorough pre-takeoff checklist, instead relying on memory and habit. One day this leads to an unnoticed fuel selector left on an empty tank. This scenario best illustrates which hazard?Human Factors and ADM
  42. 42.A pilot plans to fly at 4,000 feet MSL, 25 nautical miles from the primary airport of a Class B airspace area, remaining clear of the Class B lateral boundaries. What equipment is required for this flight?Airspace and Navigation
  43. 43.A pilot reviewing a METAR sees: KXYZ 121853Z 27012KT 3SM BR BKN025 OVC040 18/16 A3002. What is the reported ceiling at this station?Weather
  44. 44.A sport pilot is planning a VFR cross-country route that passes directly through an active Military Operations Area (MOA) shown as 'hot' on the sectional chart. What is the correct action for the pilot to take?Regulations
  45. 45.During an in-flight emergency, a pilot becomes so focused on trying to restart a failed engine that they fail to notice the airspeed decaying toward a stall. This is an example of which human factors hazard?Human Factors and ADM
  46. 46.A pilot holds a valid BasicMed qualification and wants to act as pilot in command of a light-sport airplane while exercising sport pilot privileges (having never held any other FAA medical certificate). Does BasicMed satisfy the medical requirement for exercising sport pilot privileges?Regulations
  47. 47.A pilot skips drinking water throughout a hot day of flight instruction, relying only on coffee between lessons. By the final flight, the pilot experiences a headache, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating despite adequate sleep and no illness. These symptoms are most likely caused by which factor?Human Factors and ADM
  48. 48.A pilot planning a flight near a major sporting event discovers a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) will be active over the stadium during the planned arrival time. What is the pilot's best course of action?Airspace and Navigation
  49. 49.An airplane is trimmed for straight-and-level flight. A gust of turbulence pitches the nose up, and without any control input from the pilot, the airplane's nose tends to move back down toward the original trimmed attitude. This tendency describesAircraft Performance and Systems
  50. 50.A pilot planning a cross-country route notices the course crosses a Restricted Area charted with the note 'Intermittent by NOTAM.' What should the pilot do before flying through this area?Airspace and Navigation